Letters of Boniface I

Contents

Reading pages: 3.0–14.4 · 15.0–15.9

1. 3.0Boniface addresses the bishops of Gaul.
2. 3.1Boniface reports the charges of the clergy of Valence against their bishop Maximus, who is accused of Manichaeism and homicide and has repeatedly evaded trial.
3. 3.2Boniface orders a Gallic synod before 1 November to try Maximus of Valence, in his absence if he does not appear, and reserves confirmation of the verdict to Rome.
4. 4.0Boniface greets Rufus of Thessalonica.
5. 4.1Boniface opens by saying that Peter rejoices when his sons keep the peace of the see founded on the spiritual rock.
6. 4.2Boniface reminds Rufus that he holds Rome’s commission over the churches of Macedonia and Achaea and informs him of a case from there.
7. 4.3Boniface relates that the Corinthians want to keep Perigenes as their bishop, who had been rejected by Patras and was providentially brought back to his native Corinth.
8. 4.4Boniface accepts Perigenes into communion and orders Rufus to restrain those who stir up opposition to him.
9. 5.0Boniface greets Rufus of Thessalonica.
10. 5.1Boniface praises Rufus for reporting resistance to Rome’s rulings and reminds him that Peter, shepherd of the whole church, watches over his office.
11. 5.2Boniface entrusts Rufus, as vicar of the apostolic see, with the care of the churches and with judging disputes between bishops.
12. 5.3Boniface commends the bishops who accepted his letters, among them Adelphius and Perigenes, whose rejection by Patras God turned to his elevation at Corinth.
13. 5.4Boniface waits for Rufus’s report before sending Perigenes his letter of confirmation as bishop of Corinth, and dates the letter 19 September 419.
14. 7.0Boniface addresses the emperor Honorius.
15. 7.1Boniface asks Honorius to protect the Roman church against renewed disturbance by the rival party of Eulalius, sending legates to plead its cause.
16. 12.0Boniface addresses Hilary of Narbonne.
17. 12.1Boniface reports the complaint of the church of Lodève that Patroclus of Arles ordained their bishop outside his province, against the Nicene rule of one metropolitan per province.
18. 12.2Boniface authorizes Hilary of Narbonne to investigate the Lodève ordination as metropolitan and report, insisting that each province be ordained by its own metropolitan.
19. 13.0Boniface greets Rufus of Thessalonica.
20. 13.1Boniface urges Rufus, Peter’s vicar in Illyricum, to resist with confidence those who seek to break away from Thessalonica’s jurisdiction.
21. 13.2Boniface tells Rufus he has rebuked the Thessalians and forbidden a synod at Corinth to reopen the case of Perigenes, since the apostolic see’s decisions cannot be reconsidered.
22. 13.3Boniface asks Rufus to hear the complaint of Bishop Perrevius against fellow bishops seeking to expel him and to report for papal confirmation.
23. 13.4Boniface excommunicates three Thessalian bishops, leaving them only Rufus’s intercession, and deposes the irregularly ordained Maximus.
24. 13.5Boniface asks Rufus to send back his notary Severus promptly with a report, and dates the letter March 422.
25. 14.0Boniface addresses the bishops of Thessaly.
26. 14.1Boniface tells the Thessalian bishops that the universal church began from Peter’s honour and that the Roman church is the head from which no one can separate without leaving the Christian religion.
27. 14.2Boniface condemns bishops who seek to leave Rome’s jurisdiction by appealing to another see that the canons gave no such power.
28. 14.3Boniface warns the Thessalian bishops that Peter can correct with gentleness or with the rod, quoting 1 Corinthians 4:21.
29. 14.4Boniface orders the Thessalian bishops to respect Rufus’s authority as papal vicar, to appeal to Rome if aggrieved, and to ordain no bishop in Illyricum without his knowledge.
30. 15.0Boniface addresses Rufus and the bishops of eastern Illyricum.
31. 15.1Boniface writes that Peter, on whom the church is founded, cares for all churches, and expresses astonishment at a new attempt against the fathers’ order in Illyricum.
32. 15.2Boniface recounts how Perigenes was confirmed as bishop of Corinth after Rufus’s inquiry and protests against a synod called to reopen his case.
33. 15.3Boniface says he confirmed Perigenes through Rufus, following predecessors who honoured Thessalonica, and continues that honour to Rufus.
34. 15.4Boniface warns that pride against Peter, to whom Christ gave the keys, excludes from heaven, and urges humility.
35. 15.5Boniface protests that a synod would put Perigenes’s confirmed status in doubt, and appeals to the canons ranking Rome, Alexandria and Antioch, whose bishops defer to the apostolic see.
36. 15.6Boniface cites Athanasius, Peter of Alexandria, Meletius and Flavian of Antioch, Theodosius on Nectarius, and the Eastern reconciliation under Innocent as proofs that the East consulted Rome.
37. 15.7Boniface forbids, on pain of excommunication, any reopening of the case of Perigenes, whose appointment Peter has confirmed.
38. 15.8Any charge against Perigenes concerning his conduct since his appointment is to be heard by Rufus with bishops of his choice and reported to Rome.
39. 15.9Boniface orders the Illyrian bishops to obey Rufus and ordain no one without his knowledge, and dates the letter 11 March 422.